Skyrim Anniversary Edition: Release date, free content, Creation Club, price, next-gen upgrade, more

Todd Howard and Bethesda really want to make sure that everyone owns at least several different versions of Skyrim.

Just when we've thought that there will be no more Skyrim re-releases, Bethesda announced during QuakeCon 2021 that the legendary open-world RPG will get a brand new release later this year. 

It is called Skyrim Anniversary Edition and it will be released to honour the tenth anniversary of the game.

If somehow yet another version of Skyrim still makes you excited, then you are in the right place, as we will explain to you everything there's to be explained about Skyrim Anniversary Edition.

What is Skyrim Anniversary Edition?

The Anniversary Edition is a re-release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim which will come as a part of the celebration of Skyrim's 10th anniversary.

Skyrim Anniversary Edition consists of Skyrim Special Edition (the current version of the game) and a bunch of Creation Club content.

If you are not familiar with the Creation Club, it is an official platform for modders of Fallout and Elder Scrolls games where they can offer their mods (curated by Bethesda) for money, mockingly called "paid mods" by fans who don't like the concept of Creation Club.

What's new in Skyrim Anniversary Edition?

When it comes to the base game, it's the same as Skyrim Special Edition, which includes remastered art and effects, volumetric god rays, dynamic depth of field, screen-space reflections, and more.

It also comes with all three DLCs: Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn.

This was all already available with the Special Edition, so you probably want to know what actual new content is there in the Anniversary Edition?

According to Bethesda's announcement, this version contains the full game plus all three expansions and "over 500 pieces of unique content from Creation Club, including pre-existing and new quests, dungeons, bosses, weapons, spells and more."

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Essentially, it is a bundle of SSE and a bunch of mods from the Creation Club. We currently don't have details about these "500 pieces of unique content", but Bethesda will reveal that in the near future, and we will update the article accordingly.

Anniversary Edition free update and content

Asides from the purchasable new version of the game, Bethesda is planning on adding free content for the 10th anniversary.

• Current and future owners of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition on any platform including Xbox Game Pass subscribers will receive access to three free pieces of Creation Club content: Fishing, Survival Mode and even new quests with Saints and Seducers.
• Additionally, Skyrim Special Edition owners on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, as well as Xbox Game Pass subscribers on Xbox Series X|S will receive a free upgrade to an enhanced version on 11th November.

Anniversary Edition price and release date

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is scheduled for release on exactly the 10th anniversary of the original game's release - 11th November 2021.

As for the price, Bethesda hasn't yet revealed how much will the Anniversary Edition cost, but we expect Skyrim Special Edition to be delisted from the stores and replaced with the Anniversary Edition, priced at 40€ (same as the special edition).

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